Switched from scrubbing my cast iron with soap to just salt and oil

I used to scrub my cast iron skillet with soap and water every time until last year when my friend saw me doing it and nearly had a heart attack. Now I just use coarse salt and a paper towel to scrub it clean after cooking eggs or searing steaks. The seasoning has never been better and food slides right off now. But I still see people online arguing both sides of soap vs. no-soap for cast iron. Which camp are you in and why?

2 comments

2 Comments

jordan_webb4913d ago

My buddy who brews beer told me the same thing happens with homebrewers, some swear by harsh cleaners and others treat a little soap residue like it's poison. It's funny how we get locked into these food rituals and treat them like sacred traditions instead of just asking if the thing actually works. All that matters is if your pan works and you're not eating crusty old grease.

jesse_west13d ago

My grandfather served in the 45th Infantry Division back in WWII and he used nothing but soap and water on his cast iron for 50 years. He said if your seasoning is weak enough to get stripped by a little dish soap, then you were just burning oil on there anyway. I've been using Dawn on my Lodge skillet since 2019 and my eggs slide around like they're on ice. The whole salt and oil thing feels like a leftover superstition from when soap had lye in it, not modern detergents. If you're scared of soap, you're basically saying you don't trust your own seasoning to hold up.